1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to building and construction materials and more specifically to hardware protecting utility conduits such as water pipes, gas pipes, sewer pipes, electrical wires, heating ducts and air conditioning ducts, and to the location in the walls of a constructed building of such conduits.
2. Description of the Prior Art
During the early phases of the construction of a building, the workers at the building site have no problem in locating the utility conduits in the building. Once the sheet rock or other materials used in constructing walls is installed, it is difficult if not impossible to locate the different utility conduits that are located within the walls of the building. As a result of this difficulty, the construction workers will commonly damage a conduit as they are driving nails during the construction process. When a conduit is damaged by a nail penetrating the walls of the conduit, it is necessary to remove a section of the wall so that the damaged conduit can be repaired or replaced.
At some construction sites, the location of the conduits located within the walls are indicated by lines drawn on the floor of the building. After a short time, these lines are hard to find and thus easily missed, resulting in the aforementioned damaged conduits.
It is not uncommon for the repair or replacment of the conduits that have been damaged to cause delays in the construction of the building, thus increasing the cost of construction.